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LIHUE -- Kauai police detectives said today they are interviewing all of the registered sex offenders on the island in hopes of uncovering new leads in three sexual assault cases that left two women dead and one seriously injured over the past several months.
Detectives said they are
interviewing all 70 registered sex
offenders on the islandBy Anthony Sommer
Star-BulletinThere are about 70 registered sex offenders in Kauai County.
Meanwhile, Mayor Maryanne Kusaka announced today that a $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the two murders.
Both the sex offender interviews and the offer of a reward indicate police have little or no solid evidence against any suspects, they acknowledged today.
They have not determined whether the three crimes were committed by the same person, although they have openly speculated that they could have been.
All three victims were petite, middle-age Caucasian women who were attacked while they were alone. All three were beaten and stabbed. All three were attacked on the island's west side.
The effect on Kauai residents, particularly on the west side, remains evident.
Billi Smith, principal of Kekaha Elementary School, said she and her teachers are dealing with children's questions and concerns as they arise.
Kauai police today issued a press release that criticized some news coverage of the case as "irresponsible reporting" by concluding that the three crimes are the work of a serial killer.
"There are as many differences between the three cases as there are similarities. KPD has not ruled out the possibility that there may be more than one person responsible," said Inspector Mel Morris, who heads the Investigations Bureau.
Morris' comments were sparked by a report on a Honolulu television station last night that characterized a Kauai man arrested on a parole violation as a suspect and ran his picture. Morris said the man is "unrelated to any of these cases." Morris said: "Any impression that might have been given that these cases are close to being solved is flat-out wrong."
The body of Daren Singer, 42, of Maui, was found Aug. 30 at a remote campsite at Pakala Point Beach. A 52-year-old woman was beaten and stabbed in nearby Kekaha on May 22. Lisa Bissell, 38, of Hanapepe, was found dead in a ditch near Polihale State Park on April 7.
Detectives obtained a description and were able to draw a composite picture of the suspect in the second crime.
The reward money was raised from businesses and individuals by the mayor's office, the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, the Kauai Economic Development Board and the Kauai Visitors Bureau. Anonymous informants may call CrimeStoppers at 241-6787.
